The lighter side of death

After the trauma J suffered when she first "got" the concept of death when she just turned 4, I was understandably apprehensive when her first goldfish, a cute white thing with an orange spotted head, got an incurable case of "ick" and shuffled off its mortal coil a mere week after we bought her at the fish store.

Herewith, our exchange following this news:

Me: "J, I'm sorry honey, but Spot didn't make it."

J: "Oh, I'm sad."

Me: "It's OK to be sad, sweetie..."

J (cutting in and brightening up): "Hey, God has a new fish!"

Me: "You're right - I guess he does."

J: "Can I get a new fish on Saturday?"

Me: "Sure."

L (whose fish is still very much alive): "J is so lucky."

Me: "Why do you say that? Her fish just died."

L: "Because she gets to get a new fish on Saturday and I don't."

Glad a crisis was averted, but think we need to work on the whole "gratitude for what we have" concept with L.